Pope Meets Tibetan Leader, Faults Caste System

February 3, 1986|The New York Times

NEW DELHI, INDIA — Pope John Paul II, unruffled when a young man tossed a firecracker in his direction at the end of a Mass, met Sunday with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spritual leader, and urged the world to look to the spirituality of the East in its search for genuine liberation.

The pope also used guarded language to criticize the Indian caste system, praising Mohandas K. Gandhi as a man who helped break down social barriers and divisions.

The pope`s meeting with the Dalai Lama at the office of the papal nuncio lasted 20 minutes and appeared to be part of John Paul`s efforts to bring together the world`s spiritual leaders for a period of retreat and reflection.

At several points on Sunday, the pope spoke of the need for people of all spiritual traditions to seek common ground in the struggle against war, poverty, and a loss of spiritual values.

John Paul, who is seeking to outline his alternative to the theology of liberation, also denounced social injustice before about 20,000 people at an indoor stadium.

``The church`s mission of evangelization includes energetic and sustained action for justice, peace, and integral human development,`` he said.

The pope, on the second day of his 10-day visit to India, continued to face protests from Hindu revivalists who oppose his visit and any efforts at conversion in this predominantly Hindu country.

But the firecracker incident was apparently unrelated to the Hindu protests. A man identified by police as Dominic Ouseph, a Roman Catholic from Kerala, tossed a firecracker in the pope`s direction from the grandstands as John Paul ended a Mass on Sunday morning.

The projectile fell far short of the pope. It crackled and produced a puff of smoke.

``It was my way of drawing the attention of the pontiff,`` Ouseph was quoted by the police as saying. Authorities here said the man had a history of mental problems.